Sunday, May 15, 2011

Roadtrip Weekend

We had the opportunity this past weekend to take a roadtrip to Nauvoo, IL. Along the way, we saw signs in Eldon, IA directing us to the American Gothic house. You know, the real house used as the background of this famous painting:

We decided on a little detour. It was hilarious. The volunteer working at the museum could not have been more enthusiastic about the painting. Or about dressing us up and posing us just so right in front of the house. I'm so glad we stopped.

Then we got a silly picture to debunk the myth that Iowans are crabby, miserable farmers.

We arrived at Nauvoo and checked into our--wait for it--log cabin. I was SO excited about staying in an authentic log home. These log homes have been salvaged from the prairies, restored, and have been modernized with air, TVs, kitchenettes, and full bathrooms. But the charm of the cabin remains. It was the perfect setting for our Nauvoo weekend. Here it is, the cutest little cabin you could ever imagine:

A view of the inside. Along the other wall was a full bathroom, a futon, and the TV and fridge/microwave. Black and white photos of the original owners hung above our bed.

And the very VERY best part was our room key. It was an authentic skeleton key! I couldn't get over it.

That night we went to the Nauvoo temple. We tried to have this cowboy with an English accent (don't ask!) take our picture, but it ended up all blurry. This was the best we came away with.

The next morning we visited the Carthage jail. The entire weekend was gray and drizzly, but for the most part it was dry whenever we were walking around.

Back in Nauvoo, we visited the brickyard, the blacksmith, the print shop, and the Browning home/gun shop.

Then we took a few more pictures of the temple, grabbed lunch at the Nauvoo Mill & Bakery, and came home.

Topher stayed with Grandma & Grandpa, had a ton of fun, and talked their ears off. As soon as we brought him and Sassy back home from the farm, Squash could not have been happier to see us...or her furry best friend. I love how her face literally disappears into the folds of Sassy's jowls.

It's amazing how easy it is to travel when it's just the two of us, and how much fun we can jam into two days. It was perfect. I loved every minute of it. And I can't wait for our next mini-getaway. :)